Pinakbet ( Bagoong Balayan ) recipe is Filipino dish that’s made of different kinds of vegetables. It’s basically a stir-fried dish… so it’s very to make. If you’re looking for a quick dinner recipe, this may be the one for you.
If you have some beans, eggplants and okra at home, you can cook pakbet in a jiff! It may be seasoned with shrimp paste or fish paste; if you don’t have any of the two, fish sauce will do as a good alternative.
A few days ago, I shared with you how to cook pinakbet or pakbet using shrimp paste (bagoong alamang). For this post, I’d like to show you how I cook it with fish paste (bagoong balayan).
While the ingredients are basically the same for the two; using fish paste on your pakbet transforms it into a rather different dish altogether. Personally, I prefer the one with fish paste. I tend to eat more Rice cooked with a Japanese rice cooker with it. It works especially well when fried fish is added in the dish. I recommend using the Tanigue fish or the Spanish mackerel if you’d like to add fish as the protein for your pakbet.
Here’s how Cooking Like A Pro make pakbet with bagoong balayan.
Pinakbet ( Bagoong Balayan )
Ingredients
- 5-7 cloves Garlic crushed and chopped
- 1 whole Onions chopped
- 2 pcs Tomatoes quartered
- 300 g Squash peeled and cut
- 200 g Okra Ladyfinger , cut
- 200 g Green beans cut
- 1-2 pcs Eggplant cut
- Spanish mackerel fillet tanigue
- 1 ½ tbsp Fish paste Bagoong Balayan,
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2-3 tbsp Cooking oil
- ⅓ cup Water
Instructions
- Marinate the Spanish Mackerel fillet with salt and pepper.
- Fry in a pan under medium heat. 4 minutes per side.
- Cut the fillet into 4.
- Set aside.
- Pour oil on the same pan under medium heat.
- Saute the garlic until it turns golden.
- Add in the tomatoes. Stir continuously to avoid burning.
- Add in the onions. Stir until sweaty and wilted.
- Season the dish with fish paste. Stir well.
- Add in the squash, eggplant, ladyfingers and beans. Stir well.
- Add the water. Cover the dish.
- Simmer for 2 minutes or until the dish starts to boil.
- Season the dish with salt and pepper according to liking.
- Add the fish.
- Gently stir to avoid breaking the fish.
- Turn off the heat.
- Transfer to a plate or serving dish to avoid overcooking with remaining heat from the pan.
- Serve with hot steamy rice.
Notes
Now, that’s yumm! Remember me when you cook!
Tips an Tricks for making Pinakbet
Tips for Making Pinakbet
Part of what makes Pinakbet so delicious is the variety of vegetables used. When shopping, choose fresh, in-season produce for the best flavor.
Cut the veggies uniformly so they cook at the same rate. Add tougher vegetables like squash and beans first then the quicker cooking ones like eggplant and bitter melon.
Sauté the shrimp paste first to remove any fishy taste. This allows the bagoong to melt into the stew and give a rich, savory depth.
Use a combination of pork, shrimp or fried fish to add flavor and texture. I love the fattiness and crunch of pork belly in my Pinakbet!
Serving Suggestions
A hearty veggie dish like Pinakbet is perfect with rice and grilled protein like fish, chicken or pork. You can also enjoy it on its own as a healthy meatless meal.
Leftover Pinakbet tastes even better the next day once all the flavors have melded. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in a pan until warmed through before serving.
